They did a sizzling 35 minute set in the acoustically challenged Winnipeg Arena on a limited stage set-up. The music set was at follows;

Birds of a Feather

All Touch

Shakedown

For Those Who Think Young

Weapons

Crimes of Passion

The Bitch is Back (cover)

High School Confidential

 

After the set Carole Pope returned to the stage to start things off with Oh Canada...

 

-all your textbook midget shenanighans including getting inept referee Jurgen Hermann involved in the action. At one point Lang and Jackson had Hermann cover Littlebrook and almost make the 3 count for himself. The only thing that took away from this match was that Cassidy looked in rough shape, and there were some reports that he may have been working under the influence.

 

Post-Match:

After the villians left the ring, Mad Dog Manny Silva entered from the back with a scowl on his face and bad intentions in his heart. The fans were shocked as Silva punched Lang in the head dropping him like a bad prom date, before giving Tiger Jackson a powerlsam. Silva lay on top of him for a few seconds grinning whil Jackson's little legs stuck out in spasms. Silva then scooped up Lang and hit a wheelbarrow suplex. He was about to do the same to Jackson when Lord Littlebrook and Butch Cassidy in a show of little people unity returned to the ring and while Cassidy knelt behind him, Littlebrook pushed Silva over. This only seemed to anger the Hawaiian though, as he threw both midgets off of him and then hit them both with wheelbarrow suplexes. With a scowl and some colourful words for the fans at ringside Silva left the ring proud of his despicable actions as the 4 midgets lay incapacitated in the ring.

 

 

Vendetta  v  Kid Gallahad

 

The Haitian looked like 100% pure concentrated rage, while Gallahad looked like his usual Scottish punk, refusing to make eye contact with his opponent, and jawing with referee Buddy Lane.

At the sound of the bell they locked up and Vendetta tossed Gallahad to the mat. The Scottish rougue scrambled to his feet and slapped Vendetta across the face. The Haitian held his head to the side letting the sting set in before turning around and flooring Gallahad with a forearm shot to the head. He then dragged him to the middle of the ring, used his feet for a leg spreader, and dropped a headbutt to the "lower" abdomen. While Gallahad got on all 4's in pain, Vendetta came off the ropes and dropped a leg across the back of his opponents neck, driving him again to the mat. Pulling Gallahad to his feet he tried to send him to the buckle but Gallahad reversed it, sending Vendetta to the corner. He charged in but the Haitian showed his atleticism in leaping over Gallahad and then taking him down with a belly to back suplex. He followed this up with a top rope DDT and got the quick win.

 

 

Post-Match:

Kid Gallahad threw a major temper tantrum, tossing items off the announce table, grabbing stuff from under the ring and tossing it into the air. Finally RCW officials were able to calm him and threaten him enough to make him leave.

 

Phillip Navarre  v  Chris Lyon

 

Lyon caught Navarre off guard by attacking him before the opening bell. He flirted with disqualfication by ignoring referee Jurgen Hermann's directions and laid the boots to Navarre. He took the match outside and rammed Navarre's head off the announce table and then took him down with a reverse Russian legsweep. He rolled into the ring to break the count then left again, nailing Navarre with a flying forearm from the ring apron. Finally back inside Lyon slowed down the pace by locking in his Boston Crab. Slowly Navarre made his way to the ropes and got the break. Lyon though dragged Navarre back into the middle of the ring, never releasing the hold. Incredibly the inept Hermann did not make him break the hold. Once again Navarre had to inch his way to the ropes. This time in additon to one hand on the bottom strand he grabbed onto Hermann's ankle. This prompted the risk averse referee to call for an immediate break by a befuddled looking Lyon.

Chris Lyon went right back to work on Navarre but not getting the submission seemed to take some of the steam out of his sails, and Navarre began to fight back. The action went back and forth for a couple minutes, before Navarre finally took solid control of the match. He attacked with double chops to the neck, a standing earringer, and a powerbomb. After working a full-nelson, he took the match to the mat and worked a crossface, but was still unable to gain the submission.

Lyon took the match outside where the two battled savagely and Hermann seemed happy to just stand back and watch. Navarre crotched Lyon onto the guardrail and then clotheslined him into the stands. He brought him back though with a vertical suplex. Now Hermann stepped in and told Navarre to take it back into the ring. As he dragged Lyon to the ring, the crafty Lyon pushed Navarre off sending him into the ringpost. Back inside Lyon took a breather and then he and Navarre went at it again. Once again the Frenchman grabbed the advantage, and then hit a hotshot. He tried for the coup de grace but Lyon slipped out of it. Lyon tried to call a timeout, and unbelievably Hermann delayed Navarre trying to back him off. Finally the Frenchman had enough and tossed Hermann to the side. The ref called for the bell as soon as he got back up, but not before Navarre hit the coup de grace and looked like he would be the victor.

 

 

Boris Zhukov came out first and said he had a true Communist friend and partner, one who would know the right values to take them to victory against the capitalist pigs. He then brought out Chris Markoff, who has appeared in RCW in the past.

Markoff got on the mic and said Zhukov was exactly right, and that the two of them would shine as an example of the communist system, and stop these "Perestroika" reforms of Gorbachev in their tracks, as the people of Mother Russia will rally behind them.

 

-Cummings played Ricky Morton for the first few minutes of this match before tagging off to the former powerlifter Moe Malone. It was then Markoff's turn to take a one-sided beating for several minutes. The tide of the match was turned only thanks to some double teaming by the Russians. (Okay Markoff is actually from Yugoslavia). Once again it was Cummings being isolated by Zhukov and Markoff and they drew Malone into the ring on several occassions which then allowed a double team while Might Moe was being escorted out of the ring. Markoff knocked Malone off the ringapron with a forearm shot, and when Moe tried to enter the ring he was held back by ref Jurgen Hermann. This allowed Zhukov to climb to the top rope and Markoff held Cummings so that the big headed Russian could come off with a headbutt to deliver the final blow required.

 

 

 

Steve Blackman  v  Manny Silva

 

The rules were simply it was an anything goes match, pinfalls count anywhere. Blackman brought with him his nunchucks, and Silva brought a steel chair which he proped up against the turnbuckle inside the ring.

The two men went after each other even before the opening bell. Silva started strong and used the top rope to choke and burn Blackman. He then tossed Blackman head first into the steel chair.

Blackman was busted wide open.

The match spilled outside where Silva continued to beat Blackman from pillar to post. He made the mistake of trying to use the nunchuks, but ended up hitting himself instead. Blackman then caught Silva with a sidekick, followed by some karate chops, and a Northern lights suplex. Back inside Blackman used the bottom rope to choke Silva, and then hotshot him throat first. He tried for the pin but the Hawaiian was too tough for that. Blackman then locked on a full-nelson, that he worked until Silva walked up the turnbuckles and flipped over backward to get the release. Silva then worked a couple of hammerlocks on Blackman who continued to bleed.

Blackman battled back, and the two men fought hard in the middle of the ring. Both men were hurt and scrambled to their respective corners to get their weapons. Meeting back in the middle of the ring Blackman swung his nunchuks but it was blocked by Silva who then kicked Blackman in the groin, and then smacked him over the head with the steel chair to get the win.

 

 

We are down to the last 4 matches of the evening and they are all title matches, because here in RCW its the titles that are important.

Sharon Hill, former Playboy Playmate, comes out in an evening gown to be the special ring announcer for the women's title match.

 

Misty Blue Simmes (ch)  v  Orca

-Orca of course goes right after the injured back of Simmes, but the champ uses her speed and anger to keep the Russian from having a clear shot. In fact the champ pours on the offense for the first 3 minutes, but when she goes for the Superfly finisher, Orca rolls out of the way. Now its the challenger's turn and she finally gets to work on the back. After some elbows, backbreakers, and a standing surfboard she nails a splash on the back. Orca turns Simmes over for the pin, gets 1, 2, Kickout!!

Orca works a bearhug but Simmes refuses to submit. The challenger resorts to some illegal chokes in the corner, and on the break Simmes fires back with a chop to the throat. She takes the challenger down with a double leg takedown, and then goes to work on the ample midsection of Orca, trying to take her breath away. Simmes locked on a sleeperhold, and managed to get the challenger down to one knee, but Orca wasn't going down that easy. She got back to her feet and then drove Simmes backward into the buckle for the break. Simmes climbed to the top, grabbed Orca by the hair and was going to nail a bulldog, but Orca countered with a powerslam and that was all she wrote.

 

[Orca wins the North American Women's Title]

 

Post-Match:

Ring announcer Sharon Hill presented the title belt to Orca as the fans jeered. This seemed to upset the Russian behemoth who took her anger out on the nearest target, Sharon Hill. She scooped Hill up and bodyslamed her to the mat. She then came off the ropes and nailed the model/actress with a splash.

 

 

Ben Bassarab (champion)  v  The Destroyer

 

Two fan favorites lock-up for the TV title, but with so much more then that at stake. For the Destroyer it has been a tumulteous couple of years, from being inducted into the Hall of Fame, to being forced to leave the terriotory, to covertly returning without his mask as Tod Hestrerey, to winning his reinstatement last year at this event, to not being able to unseat Steve Disalvo, and working through a couple injuries in the process. This is a stepping stone back to the top, or a push to the exit.

For Bassarab it was another defining year as he once again won the TV title in a tournament. He is seen as a young man who will forever toil at best in the mid-card, and perhaps one who can't win the big match. There has been no bigger match for him then this one coming up.

The two men shake hands before the bout, but tensions already mount when Bassarab tells the ref who patted down both men, to also check Destroyer's mask.

They lock up, and Destroyer deftly takes Bassarab down with a side headlock. After working that for a bit he caught the dazed champ with a knee lift, then locked it on again standing. The champ tossed Destroyer off the ropes, but the masked man knocked him down with a shoulder. Destroyer came off the ropes for another shoulder but this time the young champ was ready and took Destroyer down with a drop toe hold. He then worked the toe hold until the champ could reach the ropes.

Another couple of tentative lock-ups and exchanges saw neither man grab the advantage in a very tight match, that had the fans beginning to stir restless in their seats. Destroyer grabbed the first big advantage with a hanging vertical suplex, and then a couple kneedrops to the head trying to take advantage of the blood rush. He pinned but only got a 1 count. Destroyer locked on a sleeperhold but Bassarab crashed him backward to the buckle in short order.

We are 10 minutes into this match.

Bassarab worked a series of top wrist locks, and then forcing his foe to his knees dropped a leg across the extended elbow. He tried for a key-lock but the challenger grabbed onto the ropes. Destroyer showed a bit of anger when Bassarab did not break as fast as he wanted, and words were exchanged. Bassarab went to lock up but the masked man snuck in a forearm to the side of the head which drew some jeers from the crowd, and then he leaped up and took the champ down with bodyscissors. After working that hold he nailed two consecutive belly to back suplexes and got a 2 count.

Looking to end the match the masked man nailed a pumphandle powerslam and got another 2 count. He then went for his finisher, the flying crucifix, and although he hit it the champ had it well read and managed to roll through it and grab the ropes. Destroyer tried to pull the champ off the ropes instead of breaking, and this caused some more heated words and then pushes from both men.

Bassarab took the champ down with a double leg, but the champ managed to whip a kick into the gut of the champ and then take him down with a leg whip. The two then scrambled for position on the mat, rolling around, and rolled right out of the ring. Bassarab was able to recover first, and the masked man seemed to have some trouble and was just barely able to beat the 10 count back into the ring. As they locked up again it became obvious why, as the challenger was laboring, favoring his left leg. It appeared to be his ankle, which he has injured before and kept him out of action.

We are 15 minutes into this match scheduled for 30 minutes.

Bassarab hesitated asking the ref to check on the condition of Destroyer to see if he should continue, which just made Destroyer mad. When the two locked up Bassarab stayed away from attacking the challenger's injured leg, showing perhaps more respect for the Hall of Famer then wanted. This allowed Destroyer to take control of the match back, but his offense was limited largely to a ground attack as he could not plant well on the injured leg. Destroyer pulled out all the stops including a grounded Octopus hold and a belly-to-back wristlock, but neither could get the champ to give up the belt.

Seeing his title slipping away Bassarab finally went after the injured leg of the challenger. He kicked the leg out from under Destroyer drawing some jeers from the crowd. He then worked a leg lock before trying for an ankle lock. As soon as he got the ankle twisted Destroyer was screaming in pain, drawing more jeers from the crowd. But they were too close to the ropes so the challenger was able to effect the break, and then rolled himself outside the ring trying to escape, but landed hard.

When it became apparent on the subsequent count that the Destroyer might not be able to beat the 10 count the champ decided to help him out and try and slide him back into the ring. But the masked man would have none of it, and whipped Bassarab back first into the ring apron, and then suplexed him belly-to-belly. But in doing so he really twisted his ankle. Bassarab was able to once again get back into the ring by the count of 6, and this time had to pull the Destroyer into the ring by his head to beat the 10 count. He obviously wants a clear cut win and not a win tainted by a countout.

We are 21 minutes into this match.

Bassarab nailed two German suplexes, a legdrop, an elbowdrop from the second rope, but still could only get a 2 count. He then went for his flying crossbody block finisher but Destroyer moved out of the way; or at least partially, and both men went down hard. The slow 10 count was applied, and with the help of the ropes both men were up at 9 1/2. Bassarab launched himself across the ring, hitting the masked man with a crossbody block, but both men ended up flipping over the top rope and crashing in a heap on the floor.

Once again the slow 10 count was applied, and this time the champ was the only one who could beat the 10 count, as the Destroyer's ankle just wouldn't support his weight as he tried in vain to get back into the ring.

 

[Ben Bassarab retained the RCW Television Title]

 

With the challengers, the Funks, already in the ring, the fans got a special treat when the Longriders were preceded to the ring by their special guest valet, Playboy playmate, Jill Devries!!

After escorting the tag team champs to the ring she went to the announce table to do some special guest announcing.

 

The Longriders (Wild Bill Irwin & Scott Hogg Irwin)

v

The Funks (Hoss & J.J.)

 

The match began with Hoss insisting that J.J. start the match although the less experienced cousin really looked apprehensive.

However, after a couple circles and ducks through the ropes the expectant beat down of J.J. never materialized as it was Funk who got off first with an eye gouge on Wild Bill. This brought Scott Hogg in which prompted Jurgen Hermann to escort him out which allowed the first of many double teams. In fact J.J. controlled the first 4 minutes of this match, but Hoss saw constant action as a part of double teams despite never tagging in.

Finally when Wild Bill showed some signs of life J.J. tagged in his cousin. Hoss went right to work on Wild Bill and managed to isolate him once again. Finally though Wild Bill was able to make the tag, but Hoss also scrambled over and tagged in J.J.

Scott Hogg took 7 minutes of pent up frustration out on J.J.'s face, and then hammered Hoss from the ring apron. After a side suplex he got a 2 count, and then only the ropes saved J.J. from a pin after a powerslam. Scott tagged in Wild Bill who put J.J. in a full nelson. He worked him like a rag doll. Then he yelled at J.J. to cry "Uncle" which his opponent did but with a cry for help, "Unlce Hoss". Hoss tried to enter the ring but was held back by Hermann. Wild Bill shook J.J. around and said,"not that Uncle, his real name". J.J. whimpered before finally crying out "Uncle Dory", and then after being told to repeat it he drew it out "Doorrrryyyyy", drawing a good laugh from the crowd and a release of the hold from Wild Bill who tagged in Scott.

Hogg went to work on J.J. but made the mistake of getting too close to the corner and was suckered from behind by Hoss Funk. J.J. was soon able to make the tag and Hoss took Scott down to the mat. He punished him with several step over toe holds but couldn't get the big man to submit. Wild Bill was able to escape from referee Hermann long enough to nail Hoss in the back of the head with a clothesline.

This started a 4 man brawl. In the midst of the brawl Hoss snatched one of the tag titles from the announce table and stood on the ring apron. Referee Hermann was down as a result of a ref bump. Hoss climbed to the top buckle and was about to come off of it and nail Wild Bill in the back, when Jill Devries had seen enough and left the announce table. The model got onto the apron and pushed Hoss off, sending him crashing to the mat. Wild Bill then took out the trash while brother Scott Hogg finished off J.J. with a spinebuster. Bill woke up the ref who counted the slow, 1, 2, 3 !!!

 

[The Longriders retained the RCW Tag Team Titles]

 

 

 

 

"Strangler" Steve Disalvo (/w Lisa Caress) (champion)

298 lbs, Boston MA

 

v

 

Bob Backlund

244 lbs., Princeton MN

 

When referee Buddy Lane began the match in a traditional manner by displaying the belt to all 4 directions, it was snatched from his hands by Disalvo who arrogantly displayed it himself, before handing not to Lane but to his valet.

Despite all that nonsense and his actions so far in RCW, Bob Backlund still offered a handshake to Disalvo which the champ then mocked.

Backlund kept his cool, but after some amateur style takedown moves to start the match the champ got going with some powerful axhandles to the back of the challenger. Disalvo punished Backlund's back, slamming his weight down on it several times when the challenger got to all 4's, and then put him in a camel clutch. The first 5 minutes of this match were all Disalvo before Backlund finally got back into it, firing away at Disalvo's jaw with his forearm blasts. Backlund then showed his powerful leg strength by scooping up Disalvo from a standing position and launching him up and over onto his back. The challenger worked a crossface chickenwing, an abdominal stretch, and some armbars and armbreakers. But while the champ was stunned he was never close to submitting.

Lisa Caress jumped up on the apron to complain to Buddy Lane which was enough of a distraction to allow the champ to knee Backlund in the groin. We are 10 minutes into this match and Disalvo is back in charge.

After working over the back some more with forearm shots and a surfboard, Disalvo nailed a running powerslam that may have given him a 3 count except for a very lazy pin that allowed Backlund to get a shoulder up. Disalvo tried to bridge Backlund and bring his knees down onto the challenger, but Backlund got his knees up into the gut of Disalvo instead.

Backlund went to work with clotheslines, a vertical suplex, a flying forearm smash, and then a face first suplex which brought the fans to their feet but only yielded a 2 count.

Backlund sensing blood went for his finisher, and nailed the atomic drop. But with Lisa Caress screaming instructions at him the champ had presence of mind to hold onto the top rope, and fall between the ropes to the floor below. Lisa Caress stood over the champ trying to protect him, but it was unecessary as always the sportsman, Bob Backlund stood back and watched the count applied.

Just when it seemed the champ might let the count go to 10 he rolled into the ring. Backlund was all over him with a standing headscissors neck twist, followed by an earringer, a double legtakedown, flipping over into a pin, for 1, 2, Kickout!! Back on their feet Disalvo ducked a clothesline, fired back but Backlund ducked his clothesline, but when he went for a dropkick Disalvo moved out of the way.

The champ grabbed Backlund by the head and pulled him up into a bodyslam, followed by a pair of elbowdrops.

The champ was in full control now, nailing a DDT from the second rope, for 1, 2 Kickout!!

Frustrated Disalvo dragged Backlund into the middle of the ring and hit a piledriver, for 1, 2, KICKOUT!!

Backlund tried to chop Disalvo, but the desperation blows just bounced off the champ. Disalvo hit a second piledriver, hooked a leg, for 1, 2, 3 !!

Huge win for the champ, not only beating his second former world champion in a month, but surviving his finisher as well.

 

[Steve Disalvo retained the RCW Heavyweight Title]

 

Post-Match:

After Disalvo was presented with the belt and celebrated with Lisa, Backlund came forward once again and offered a handshake. Disalvo looked for a second like he might accept but Lisa was all over him celebrating, so he just laughed at Backlund and turned his back.

 

A great night of wrestling comes to an end, as does a banner year for River City Wrestling.

 

That's it for the 7th Anniversary Spectacular.

 

See ya next year!!!